Elizabeth Towner

projects
Community-Driven Campaign to Increase Long COVID Awareness (ongoing)
Community-Driven Health Campaign to Increase Water and Reduce Sugary Drink Intake in Young Children (ongoing)
Analysis of receipts to understand the relationship between food access, food purchasing patterns, and obesity in Detroit families with preschool-aged children (closed)
Community Action to Improve Health and Well-Being During the Coronavirus Pandemic (closed)
Development of a Smartphone Intervention Targeting Healthy Food-Related Budgeting, Purchasing, and Routines to Address Obesity in Early Childhood (closed)

Faculty Profile

Assistant Professor
fl7786@wayne.edu

Administrative Title

Assistant Professor, Full-time

Office Address

6135 Woodward
iBio Building

Office Phone

313-577-1080

Biography

Elizabeth Towner is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Division of Behavioral Sciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Towner is trained as a clinical and pediatric psychologist. Her research focuses broadly on pediatric obesity, health equity, and developing family-based health behavioral interventions. Her recent work includes partnerships with the Michigan Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to develop preschool obesity interventions, interdisciplinary collaborations to develop innovative approaches for increasing the efficiency and consistency of screening for pediatric obesity in primary care settings, and identifying food purchasing patterns, resource management skills, and routines that increase obesity risk among low-income families with preschool-aged children. Dr. Towner also facilitates the Family-Pediatrician Partnership, a community advisory board of caregivers, health care providers, and other community stakeholders that is dedicated to identifying strategies for reducing obesity-related inequities in early childhood in Detroit.

Please see Dr. Towner's CV.

Research Description

Primary areas of focus are health equity, pediatric obesity, and developing interventions and programs to address community priorities for health behavior change. Ongoing projects are specific to building community capacity for research (pediatric obesity, COVID 19, Long COVID, and cardiovascular health) and developing/implementing community driven health campaigns for childhood obesity prevention and Long COVID.
I ask for a minimum of 6 hours per week in order to ensure students can maximize the learning experience. Many of my projects also occur in the evenings so students need to have availability after 5 PM on weekdays for those projects.

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